


Among the Wild Flowers (With Your Love on Your Arm)

by talesofsuspense



Series: Happy Steve Bingo 2019 [2]
Category: Marvel 616
Genre: Avengers Vol. 1 (1963), Flowers, Fluff, Identity Porn, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 09:41:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20673257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talesofsuspense/pseuds/talesofsuspense
Summary: The language of flowers is powerful. A lot of beautiful, wonderful sentiments can be conveyed through different colors and shapes of petals, if you know them well enough.Or, Steve Rogers finds himself with a mystery on his hands. The Wasp is here to help. Iron Man doesn't know anything, obviously.





	Among the Wild Flowers (With Your Love on Your Arm)

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the square "Secret Identity" on my Happy Steve Bingo card, and the Y4 square "forget me not" on my Cap/IM Bingo card.
> 
> This was surprisingly really fun for me to write! It's kind of a silly premise, but "secret identity" was kind of stumping me because it's so broad, and "forget me not" was too because my mind automatically went "amnesia!!!" which I don't trust myself to write. Thus this was born!
> 
> This is set _extremely_ early in canon. I'm talking it ends with a different (better) conclusion to Avengers Vol. 1 #16. Janet, Tony, and Hank's secret identities haven't been revealed to the team yet. I honestly kept forgetting and writing "Jan" and having to go back and erase and write "Wasp". 
> 
> The title is from Tom Petty's "Wildflowers" because I love that song and I thought it fit ridiculously well considering it's about thinking the person you love deserves the best _and_ includes mentions of flowers.

Steve has a problem. No, that’s not right. He has a mystery on his hands. It’s not something he wants to  _ fix _ , really, he just wants to get to the bottom of it.

It’s been going on for a few weeks now. Someone keeps leaving him flowers. At first he didn’t think they were for him. It was hard to believe that someone would be leaving Steve Rogers flowers. He can admit to himself that he doesn’t have much of a social life, or friends. Jan has chastised him for keeping to himself too much, even from the team. He spends more time brooding than he should, but it’s hard to find a place here in the future when he has loose ends that keep pulling his mind back to the past. If he could only find and stop Zemo once and for all. But no, now isn’t the time to think about that. The flowers are what’s important right now. After the third flower he had to admit they couldn’t be for anyone but him. They were always in places no one else spent much time, like the library here in Tony Stark’s townhouse, or even on top of the art portfolio that doubled as a disguise to carry his shield in— that one had made it fairly undeniable that the flowers were in fact meant for him.

Right now he’s staring down at a white flower that was sticking up from the book he’d been reading last week. It was left right on the page where the bookmark was. It’s a pretty flower, Steve thinks, as he turns it this way and that, examining the petals. He doesn’t know much about flowers, really, but he’s always appreciated them. It’s touching to know that someone cares about him enough to send him something nice like this, even if it is puzzling him enough that he feels a dull headache coming on. He has had a long day. He spent the early afternoon giving a fighting demonstration at a high school. He always liked promoting good fitness and health, especially to kids, and thankfully this time it had all gone according to plan and no villains showed up to sabotage the event. Iron Man had even shown up to provide moral support (and back up if needed), and he’d told Steve he enjoyed the demonstration. It was always nice to get a compliment from his favorite teammate. Still, it was tiring to put on a show all day, especially for a large group of kids who all wanted autographs, plus the reporters asking for pictures. Not that he minded, he loved kids, but he’d known he had a long night ahead of him. 

It’s his night to be on watch in the townhouse, and no one knows that but the rest of the team. Still, that doesn’t really help him. The flowers could be from fans — the Avengers get a lot of fanmail and gifts — and left in the book by The Wasp or Iron Man, or even Thor or Giant Man, since they knew Steve would find it here. He sets the flower on the table next to his chair with a sigh. He’ll have to ask about it at the next Avengers’ meeting. He’s been too shy to bring it up at all yet. He doesn’t know if it’s customary for men to receive flowers, he’s always known it to be something men gave women. Not that the flowers have been obviously romantic at all, but it still made him a little nervous to bring it up to the team. Especially Giant Man, who always seemed to not want to spend time with things he thought frivolous. It's bothering him though, and it’s clear he’s not going to solve this puzzle on his own.

  
  


\---

  
  


Giant Man is leading the Avengers meeting this time, and Steve is waiting patiently in his seat for the meeting to end. He talked himself out of most of his nervousness over the past few days, and now he just really wants to know if any of his team has any information that might help him solve this mystery.

“Alright Avengers, that’s all for today,” Giant Man says, turning to look at everyone else at the table one by one. “Does anyone have anything else to say before we part for now?”

“Actually, I do,” Steve says, leaning forward in his chair. 

“Alright, Cap, you have the floor,” Giant Man says. Steve nods, clearing his throat a little.

“Thank you, Giant Man. Now, it’s not anything overly urgent or dangerous, so no one should be nervous. It’s, uh, well it’s a sort of mystery really. Someone has been leaving flowers around the mansion where they know I’ll find them, as well as on top of my personal belongings. I’m not mad at all, I was just hoping to know who left them, or if any of you know where they’re coming from,” Steve clasps his hands together as he finishes, surveying everyone around the table. Iron Man makes an odd choppy buzzing noise to his left and he looks toward him with a smile. “Iron Man, do you have any information?”

“Oh, uh, no. Sorry Cap, I don’t know anything at all about any flowers. It’s sure odd,” Iron Man says. Steve frowns a little. Iron Man is being weird. He sounds nervous. Well, maybe he has a prior arrangement planned that he doesn’t want to be late too, Steve thinks, no need to get your wings in a twist.

“Hm, what kind of flowers have they been?” Wasp asks from her seat to Steve’s right. “I’m not sure on who has been leaving or sending them, but I might be able to help you figure out the motives behind it based on the types of flowers. They all have different meanings.”

Hmm, Steve thinks, he never thought of that. What if they’re some sort of secret message? That would be yet another layer to this mystery! “Thank you Wasp, that would be so helpful! I have them in my portfolio in the other room, if you wouldn’t mind looking after the meeting.”

“Of course, Cap,” Wasp smiles, turning back to Giant Man.

“Alright, since Thor and myself have nothing further to add, I declare this meeting officially adjourned,” Giant Man stands and one by one the rest of them do as well. “Wasp, since you are going to help Cap with these flowers, I will meet you back at the lab.”

  
  
  


“Thanks again for helping me with this,” Steve says, smiling at his teammates as he lays the flowers out on the table in front of them. “It never even occurred to me that they could be meaning something. How is it that you know so much about flowers?”

“It’s no problem at all, Steve,” Wasp grins. “I’m in the fashion industry and with floral print on the up and up, I make it my job to know. Of course, most designers probably don’t pay attention to small details like the meanings of flowers, but I like my fashion to be cohesive in every way. Now let’s take a look at these.”

“These first three are relatively basic flowers for friendship,” Wasp turns the most recent flower over in her hand. “This one though, this is a white camellia.”

“I found that one during my last night watch, after I’d given the demonstration on the importance of eating right and getting plenty of exercise,” Steve says, recounting the memory. “What does it mean?”

“They symbolize a lot of things, but in Western culture, they’re most commonly used to show someone they’re well-liked, admired, that the giver feels affection for the receiver, and often finds them adorable. It’s a sweet flower, honestly.”

“Adorable?” Steve asks, cheeks heating a little. “Who would give  _ me _ a flower meaning that?”

“Now don’t go acting all shy, big guy,” Wasp grins, laying the camellia back on the table. “You own a mirror, I assume? You are quite cute. Besides, the other meanings are important too. You’re Captain America! You’re well-liked and admired by most of the country, as well as by us Avengers.”

“Thanks, Wasp,” Steve says, a bit sheepishly. He rubs a hand across the back of his neck. “I’ll admit, at first I thought the flowers could be from you. Not in a romantic way, of course, but just as a kind gesture. You were the first to try to cheer me up when I was feeling blue about Bucky after joining the team, so I thought it was maybe you doing something similar again. I feel a bit foolish for thinking that now, though.”

“Well I do like seeing my teammates happy,” Wasp says with a laugh. “But Giant Man would have both of our heads if I were sending you flowers, romantic or not. So sadly I can’t solve your mystery for you, but if you receive any more flowers from your  _ suitor _ feel free to come to me and I’ll help you figure them out.”

—

The next flower comes in the evening after the Avengers have rare downtime together. They spent all afternoon sitting in Stark’s mansion playing chess, doing crossword puzzles, and taking advantage of Steve being the resident artist. If this had taken place before Project Rebirth, Steve is pretty sure his hand would feel on the verge of falling off by now.

He finds it in the kitchen, sitting on his pile of mail. He stares at it for a moment in confusion. He’s been here, in the mansion, the whole time. It’s just been himself and the other Avengers. No one noticed anyone else come in as far as Steve knows, and Jarvis hadn’t announced anyone’s arrival. Who left this flower?

Giant Man is out of the question. He’s much too hot-headed to think to leave flowers for a teammate, especially Steve, even if he always shows his excitement for Steve’s returns by bouncing him in his giant hands.

Thor is also out of the question. While he’s undoubtedly kind, he doesn’t seem at all versed in flowers. Plus, every time Steve’s gotten one, he found it after some event and Thor has never been present for any of those.

The Wasp is still out. Steve believes her that she doesn’t leave them, and he stopped suspecting her almost immediately anyway. She doesn’t strike him as the type to be playing a long game where she helps him decipher flower meanings and then leave more.

Jarvis isn’t even an actual possibility. While the man is kinder than most that Steve has met, he’s straightforward and takes his responsibility as butler and caretaker of the mansion seriously. He wouldn’t spend his time leaving flowers for Steve to find, nor would he leave one that implies Steve is adorable, Steve thinks with a slight flush.

That leaves Iron Man and Tony Stark himself. The idea that Tony Stark would leave Steve flowers gives him a slight rush. The man has been incredibly generous to the team, and to Steve in particular. Steve knows he has some sort of significant level of admiration for Captain America. As someone linked to the Avengers, it makes sense for him to know Steve’s schedule. And who knows what Iron Man tells him about what goes on with the team. Sure, he’s only Stark’s bodyguard, but Steve likes to imagine they’re friends too. Plus, Tony Stark is the only person who could come and go from the mansion without Jarvis telling the Avengers about it.

Still, as much as Steve appreciates Mr Stark, he can't deny that the thought of Iron Man leaving him flowers is more pleasing. Steve has developed a sort of… attachment to his armored teammate. It’s not as though Steve spends a lot of time with the team (something he has to work on), but the moments with Iron Man are always the ones he’s cherished most. Iron Man always has back on the battlefield, too, and Steve always tries to make sure to have his as well. Iron Man’s mechanical-sounding voice was the first thing Steve heard coming out of the ice. It left an impact. The more time he spent with the Avenger, his opinion of him has only grown. It’s difficult because Iron Man can be evasive at times. While he obviously values his place on the team and likes the Avengers, he deflects questions about his whereabouts when he misses meetings or calls under the guise of “personal problems”. They’ve all agreed not to pry, so Steve hasn’t tried talking to Iron Man in private, but it pains him to see someone he considers a friend in some level of pain. If it really is Iron Man who has been leaving these flowers, well, Steve hopes he’s open to letting Steve into his life more. It has to count for something, even in the suitor has worked to remain anonymous. Hmm, Steve thinks, if it is Iron Man or Mr Stark, that would explain Iron Man’s shiftiness when Steve first brought up the flowers. He really hopes it is Iron Man. It doesn’t help that he’s maybe imagined what his fellow Avenger looks like under all of that metal as being not at all hard on the eyes.

“That’s a caladium,” Waps says, startling Steve out of his thoughts. The rest of the Avengers left already, so he assumes Giant Man is waiting outside. “When did you get that one?”

“Just now,” Steve says, sliding the stack of mail over with the flower on top. “I came in and saw this. It’s a weird looking one.”

“It can be rare for types of caladiums to actually have flowers, they’re mostly known for their special leaves,” Wasp grins, plucking the flower from the pile. It’s white and spoon-shaped. It’s quite pretty, Steve thinks, even if it was obviously cut from something large. He supposed all of the flowers he received have been.

“What does it mean?” Steve asks, leaning his elbows onto the countertop.

“It means you bring great joy into the life of whoever’s been leaving these,” Wasp smiles again, looking up at Steve. He watches as her mouth quirks down a little. “Are you any closer to figuring out who?” 

Steve feels himself warm. The logic all makes sense in his head, but it feels embarrassing to say it out loud. But Wasp has been nothing but helpful, and Steve knows she won’t make fun of him. 

“I’ve narrowed it down to Mr. Stark or Iron Man,” Steve says, clasping his hands together to avoid fidgeting. 

“Oh,” Wasp blinks. She looks thoughtful. “You know, I suppose both those options do make sense, now that you put it out there.” She smirks a little. “Do you have any preference on which of those two it be? Tony Stark sure isn’t hard on the eyes, but Iron Man is sweet too.”

“Well,” Steve starts, scratching at his jaw. “Mr. Stark is more generous than I can say -- I mean he gave us this place to use for the Avengers -- and it would definitely be flattering to have  _ him _ give me flowers, but well- Iron Man is a- he’s a friend.”

Wasp is smirking more when he finishes and Steve flicks his eyes around the room, avoiding eye contact. “Oh, Iron Man is a  _ friend _ . I see.”

“Yeah, I mean you’re a friend too,” Steve says, swallowing. “And these flowers, they aren’t necessarily romantic.”

“Of course not, though the implications are sure there,” Wasp says looking contemplative now, one finger resting against her chin. Her face softens when she looks back at Steve. “But I was only teasing, Cap. Besides, it’s not a problem for me if you do have a crush on our resident golden Avenger.”

Steve relaxes minutely, letting out a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding, “You don’t tell Giant Man about these conservations, right?”

“Of course not!” Wasp exclaims, coming closer to rest a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “He’s much more interested in his ants and I wouldn’t dream of it anyway, Steve. You’re secret -- if that’s what it is -- is safe with me.”

He smiles gratefully up at her, “Thanks, Wasp.”

\---

For a few weeks, Steve doesn’t receive a flower at all. It makes him a little sad, and he can’t help but think that whatever his floral admirer had saw in him before is gone now. He knows he can be too quiet or too loud at the wrong times. His preoccupation with Zemo has only gotten worse, too. He’s about to give up on the hope of this mystery to ever come to a satisfying conclusion when he sees it: the sixth flower.

The sixth flower is laying in his mug in the cupboard. He winces as he reaches for it, still sore from the last fight with the Masters of Evil where he’d taken a blast to his ribs. He’d gritted through the pain without so much as a groan, but he sure did feel it. Iron Man had been concerned, but Steve had told him it was a minor wound and not to worry. That wasn’t a lie, it wasn’t anything getting worked up over. Besides, it was his own fault. He’d been a little reckless in the fight, letting some of Zemo’s comments get to him. Best not to linger in those thoughts now, though. The team should be here in a few hours, and he’s got another flower to show Wasp.

This flower is purple. It’s really stunning and Steve is careful not to ruin any of the folded petals as he lowers his mug and sets the flower on the counter. He’ll have to put it with the rest when he gets back to his room.

He spent the night again, taking over for Thor’s watch because he’d said he had some pressing business to attend to. Steve didn’t doubt it, and it wasn’t as if he had anything important going on anyway. He never really did.

He fills his mug, carrying it to the library to sit down in his favorite chair, sipping carefully at the hot coffee and staring at the flower. He wonders what kind it is. 

  
  


“It’s a purple carnation,” Wasp says, closing her tube of lipstick, when he shows it to her, holding it delicately in an open palm. Steve nods like that makes perfect sense, even though he still has no real idea what type of flowers look like, let alone mean. Wasp runs one delicate gloved hand over the petals.

“What does this one mean?” Steve asks voice pitched low because the other Avengers are sitting right in the room next door. It’s not a secret, the flowers, especially since he literally announced it at a meeting weeks ago. But it feels like one, what with Wasp helping him figure out the meanings of these flowers and narrowing down the possible pool of people who could be sending them considerably.

“Well, it’s not as nice as the other ones,” Wasp grimaces, taking her hand away from the petals and resting it on her hip. Steve frowns a little. “However, considering the rest of them, it’s safe to assume this one is meant with the best of intentions.”

“Wasp, please,” Steve pleads, unable to bear the tension. Wasp grins at him.

“It means you should tone down on your recklessness,” she says, eyes glancing purposefully down to Steve’s ribs. He winces slightly. Okay, yeah, that really had been a bad move, but he was okay.

“Oh,” Steve says. It feels a little anticlimactic, honestly. The others had all been complimentary, sweet, and this one just told Steve something he already knew. 

“No don’t go acting like that, Rogers,” Wasp says, shaking a finger in front of Steve’s nose. He blinks at her. “This flower is just as sweet as the white camellia was. It means that  _ whoever _ is leaving these worries about, and your wellbeing. It’s quite romantic if you ask me.”

Steve frowns a little more before smiling hesitantly, “You’re right Wasp, I hadn’t thought of it like that.”

He thinks of Iron Man’s worry when he got hit, how he’d wanted to help him walk back to the jet. He’d practically offered to patch him. It had been nice, all of Iron Man’s attention on him, even if it was because he’d gone and gotten himself hurt. He and Iron Man always had each other’s backs in battle, and Steve had gotten himself into some bad situations too many times, needing Iron Man to rescue him with one of his fancy repulsors and strong armor. He smiles at the memories.

“Alright you big sap,” Wasp says, laughing and rolling her eyes. “Let’s get back into the room before the team comes to bother us.”

\---

The final mystery flower comes when Steve returns from South America following a final encounter with Zemo and rescuing a man from a cheetah. When he and Rick arrived back at the Avengers’ headquarters he’d been shocked to see a crowd. Worried, he’d raced back inside. He calmed a bit when he realized his team was fine, and Iron Man greeted him by saying he was “a sight for sore eyes”, but the calmness was short-lived.

When Iron Man announced that himself, Giant Man, The Wasp, and Thor were all planning on taking an extended leave of absence, leaving him in charge of an entirely new lineup- well he was heartbroken. He’d just gotten back and now he was being left alone with a whole new team. He’d tried to subtly convince Iron Man to change his mind, but to no avail. There was nothing he could do. Wasp had patted his shoulder comfortingly as she left with Giant Man, off on a vacation. He put on his brave face and introduced the new Avengers team to the crowd, only meeting them a few seconds before the reporters.

Now he’s in the library preparing to leave for the night. The new team left already, promising to meet back early tomorrow to go over Avengers' practices. Steve sighs, reaching to grab his portfolio when he sees it. A stem with little vibrant blue flowers poking out of the flap of his portfolio. He doesn’t need The Wasp for this one, he can recognize forget-me-nots anymore. 

He can’t resist beaming down at the flowers, plucking them from his portfolio. He knows now, for sure, that it’s Iron Man who has been leaving the flowers. He’d told Iron Man a few weeks ago about these flowers, and how they grew to be his favorite because his mother would always keep them in a vase in the kitchen when he was younger. He knows what they symbolize too, the giver asking,  _ hoping _ , that the giftee won’t forget them, a reminder of their good times together. He grins again and grabs the rest of the flowers out of the back pocket of his portfolio, silently thankful that they haven’t been entirely crushed. 

He rushes out of the library with his makeshift bouquet, skidding to a stop in the kitchen when he spots a vase of red roses Wasp had left as a gift to the new team. He plucks one with only a little guilt, grateful that the thorns have been cut off, and then races down the corridor he knows Iron Man always leaves through. Sure enough, he spots the red and gold Avenger nearing the end.

“Iron Man!” He calls out, unable to keep the smile from his face. He rushes toward his friend, the bouquet still clutched in his left hand. “Wait, Iron Man!”

Iron Man stops and turns towards him. Steve can’t see his face, but he’s sure he looks confused. Though, he shouldn’t be. There’s no way Steve wouldn’t know the forget-me-nots were from him and connect the pieces. “Steve? What is it?”

Steve halts just in front of him, holding out the bouquet. He feels slightly out of breath, which never happens, but all this excitement has given him a rush he has to compensate for him. He peels his mask back, still grinning, “This bouquet, it’s for you.”

“But-” Iron Man starts, reaching out with one metal-covered hand, taking the bouquet. “You- I mean-”

“I know the flowers are from you,” Steve says, rocking up onto his toes a little. “I’m not rejecting them. I’ve saved them this whole time. I added the rose just now, from the roses Wasp left. Don’t tell her. I just wanted to show you that I appreciate them, appreciate  _ you _ .”

“How did you come to that conclusion?” Iron Man asks, still staring down at the bouquet. 

Steve flushes a little before confessing, “It honestly took me awhile. I wasn’t certain until just now. At first I didn’t think they were even for me. Who would leave flowers for Steve Rogers? But then it was obvious that they were and I thought, well maybe they’re from a fan. But they were tied too closely to specific events for that. Then I suspected Wasp, which was silly, I know, but see how she left the roses for the new team? She’s kind like that! I thought Mr Stark too, at first, but-”

“What if I told you it was him?” Iron Man interrupts, head snapping up to look at Steve. Steve frowned, confused. “What if I told you it was Tony Stark leaving the flowers.”

“Well,” Steve starts, shocked and edging on the side of upset. “I- I don’t know. The forget-me-nots though, I only told you about them, and you’re leaving the team. It’s fitting. Mr Stark left me these?”

Iron Man nods slowly, lifting his hands up to his helmet. Steve stares in shock, unable to react as his fellow Avengers (now ex) slowly removes his helmet. The face he sees when the helmet is off is…

“Mr Stark!?” Steve exclaims, shocked. Iron Man- Tony Stark offers a rueful smile. 

“Are you mad?” he asks, looking back down at the bouquet in his hand quickly. Steve shakes the shock out of himself.

“Mad? Why on Earth would I be mad?” Steve questions, a smile slowly uncurling on his face. “I should’ve known! It makes sense! No, I’m not mad. The man funding the Avengers  _ is _ an Avenger! The amount of times one of us has said Tony Stark should be on the team, and the whole time you’re right here!”

“Here I am,” Tony says, grinning. “I’m sorry for not telling you, though I guess, really, you’re the only one without a secret identity. And that’s not of your own choosing.”

“It’s fine,” Steve says, shaking his head. “This is a pleasant surprise.”

“Good,” Tony says, voice softer. “About the flower, I mean- I know they’re a little presumptuous considering I never meant for you to find out, and I certainly don’t expect anything from you so feel free to decline, but would you like to maybe go out on a date with?”

“With Iron Man or Tony Stark?” Steve says, smiling. He winks. “Well, no matter, I like both just fine. Say, I was just talking to Wasp about Tony Stark not being hard on the eyes. I’d always imagined Iron Man looking handsome too.”

Tony laughs and Steve’s heart feels full enough that he could just float on his own happiness right now. He’s gotten an answer to his mystery, an unveiled Iron Man, and a date all on the same day! It’s quite a turn around from the sorrow he was initially feeling after Iron Man’s announcement.

“You’re a looker yourself, handsome,” Tony says with a grin and a wink. “Though I’m sure you already I think that, with Jan telling you the meanings of the flowers. I’ll admit, that part made me a little nervous. It was less risky when I knew you likely had no idea what they were beyond just flowers.”

“It made it so much more interesting,” Steve admits. He walks closer to Tony, putting a hand on his shoulder. The armor is still slightly warm to the touch. “I’m glad it’s you. That you are Iron Man. Now, about that date.”

Tony beams down at him, bringing an armored hand around to his back, pulling him closer until the front of the armor is pressing into Steve’s chest, “Let me get changed and I’ll have Happy drive us. I know the perfect place.”


End file.
